OFF THE CUFF | Meaning, Definition In Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of off the cuff in English

off the cuff

idiom Add to word list Add to word list If you speak off the cuff, you say something without having prepared or thought about your words first: I hadn't prepared a speech so I just said a few words off the cuff.off-the-cuff [ before noun ] He made a few off-the-cuff remarks Immediately
  • a stitch in time (saves nine) idiom
  • ado
  • at/in one fell swoop idiom
  • bat
  • cuff
  • deferrable
  • directly
  • fell
  • instant gratification
  • instantaneous
  • instantaneously
  • instantly
  • light switch
  • soon
  • spot
  • straight
  • swiftly
  • swiftness
  • then and there idiom
  • waste
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Not showing careful thought
(Definition of off the cuff from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of off the cuff

off the cuff The pre-composed part could also be backings behind a solo, which could be taught aurally off the cuff. From the Cambridge English Corpus I could not answer it off the cuff. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I cannot say, "off the cuff", the exact amount, but it is a substantial matter. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I should not like to answer the first part off the cuff. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I do not want to give an answer off the cuff in this matter. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 Since he made that "off the cuff" remark, a number of things have happened. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I cannot give that percentage figure off the cuff. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I would not dream of answering such a technical question off the cuff. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 It is difficult for me to answer those points off the cuff. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I took it as a courtesy—it was perhaps also wisdom on her part—that she did not attempt to answer off the cuff. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 The idea that questions of that kind can be answered "off the cuff" or even after a few days without anxious consideration is wholly wrong. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I should not like to reply off the cuff. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 Of course one is trying to answer off the cuff and one could be wrong. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I should not like to express an opinion off the cuff. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 These were not cases that were dealt with off the cuff. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Translations of off the cuff

in Chinese (Traditional) 未經準備, 未加思索, 即興地… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 未经准备, 未加思索, 即兴地… See more in Spanish improvisando… See more in Polish in Turkish z głowy, bez namysłu, natychmiastowy… See more hazırlıksız, irticalen, doğaçlama konuşmak… See more Need a translator?

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off the books idiom off the chain idiom off the charts idiom off the coast off the cuff idiom off the record idiom off the scale idiom off the shelf phrase off the top of your head idiom {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

Word of the Day

jigsaw puzzle

UK /ˈdʒɪɡ.sɔː ˌpʌz.əl/ US /ˈdʒɪɡ.sɑː ˌpʌz.əl/

a picture stuck onto wood or cardboard and cut into pieces of different shapes that must be joined together correctly to form the picture again

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